“The Hobbit” comes to life in eighth grade English

One of Mr. Pete Lund’s english students and her key which opened the door for Thorin & Company.

Sacred Heart students in Pete Lund’s eighth grade English class are being introduced to Catholic author, JRR Tolkien, and the book, The Hobbit. The book, known for its many Catholic themes, has been a fun addition to classroom studies. Students are evaluated on their reading using a variety of methods, but the first one was a project of the students’ own choice. English instructor, Pete Lund, says that “I am always impressed with the students’ imagination and creativity.” They could pick a character, scene or place and create an artifact using materials they wish to tell about it.

Ashley Combs, one of the students, created a video game based on The Hobbit. Combs said she had fun creating the game and learning how to complete it. “I made it with a developer program called Adobe Flash.” In her game Bilbo goes on his journey and the player advances by answering questions and collecting artifacts.

Combs walked students through the game she created using the class SmartBoard.

Imari Crayton, a student, said that Mr. Lund is a neat teacher. “He doesn’t just have us read out of a book — he kind of puts his own “way” into everything.” Students are currently creating a second project, using clay, to reproduce a character from the story. Lund added, “anything hands on seems to enhance and give more value to the subject studied. It’s a great time to let artistry shine and imagination reign!”